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I’m sure you’ve seen as many magazine articles as I have about common female body types. But there’s one problem with most of these stories that compare your body to a piece of produce: They often advise that the ideal exercise routine for you is one that focuses mainly on your trouble spot: thighs for pears, belly for apples, lack of curves for string beans (I like to say chili peppers).

While we should all learn to embrace the beauty that is uniquely ours, it is possible to make the most of what Mother Nature gave us by training to even out our body’s cosmetic imbalances — not just slim down in a single zone.

I’ve mapped out a seven-day workout plan for each of the three body types — pear, apple and chili pepper.

Pick the shape that’s most similar to yours and see how a workout routine customized to your particular body type can even out your proportions and balance your shape, not fight it.

Best workout if you’re a PEAR body type

Pear-shaped women carry most of their body weight below the waist, so often their primary goal when exercising is to shrink their hips, thighs and glutes. This emphasis on shaping up the lower body frequently results in the neglect of upper body training.

In reality, an exercise program for the pear body shape should incorporate a healthy dose of heavy upper body weight training to help make the upper half more proportional to the lower.

Don’t worry … we definitely won’t neglect your hips, thighs and glutes. And of course there’s also plenty of cardio in here to burn fat everywhere.

Day 1: Start with a whole-body cardio-sculpt workout. Remember that all-over workouts are excellent fat burners — and while you’re hefting those weights, focus your mind on the fact that muscle tissue burns more calories than fat does. Try the 1-2-3 Total Body Workout. DVD recommendation: The FIRM Total Body Makeover.

Day 2: Turn on the calorie burn with an intense cardio routine. Go for a run, hit the elliptical, take a class at the gym or try this calorie-burning cardio on the go workout. DVD recommendation: The FIRM Cardio Overdrive. In addition to burning fat and calories, this workout also contains light four-limb sets that tone the upper and lower body as well as the core.

Apple-shaped women carry much of their body fat in their mid-section. But the best way to burn fat from the mid-section is to burn fat from all over the body. So this apple routine includes plenty of calorie-burning cardio. Besides adding some extra core-shaping exercises, we’ll also emphasize heavy lower body muscle-building to help balance out the top half. And of course we’ll shape up those shoulders and arms as well!

Day 5: Now that your upper body’s well-rested, put all the above together in a single time-saving workout. You'll burn lots of calories and shape your lower body and core all in one maximized routine with the 1-2-3 Total Body Workout. DVD recommendation: The FIRM Total Body Makeover.

You’ve probably also seen this body type compared to a string bean; I happen to fall into this category and I definitely prefer chili pepper! If you’re naturally thin with few curves to speak of, then you’re right here with me.

Our goal is to create curves everywhere by adding muscle. We’ll do lots of heavy lifting for both the upper and lower body, and our cardiovascular exercise will come as a result of The FIRM’s signature form of aerobic weight training as well as through moderate cardio sessions.

Article courtesy of The FIRM Believers Club, an online community that helps you reach your fitness goals. With maximum-efficiency home workouts, support and motivation from The FIRM Master Instructors, daily tips, personalized workout rotation calendars, and access to other members through discussion boards, The Club provides all the tools you need to get in the shape you want.